A hydrocarbon contains 85.7 % carbon by mass. What is the empirical formula of the hydrocarbon?

A.     ${{\text{C}}_{\text{2}}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}$

B.     ${\text{C}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}$

C.     ${{\text{C}}_{\text{2}}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{5}}}$

D.     ${\text{C}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}$

B

This might have taken some time and was, perhaps, more challenging for those reliant on calculators. Nearly 68% of the candidates, however, gave the correct answer.